Loop east of Coulommiers through the Forêt de la Bretonnière

Starting point and access: Coulommiers station.
- Transilien - Line P, terminus of a section from Paris-Est.
Take the only exit, Place du 8 mai 1945.

Red and white + yellow markings

(S/E) Upon exiting the station, cross the car park and turn onto Rue de la Gare. At the end, go around the roundabout on the right and take^{the second} right, Rue Marcel Clavier, on the right-hand pavement. Cross Rue Guy Môquet on the right-hand side.

No markings

(1) Shortly after, ignore the entrance to Parc des Capucins on the left and continue straight ahead. Cross Rue Salmon de Brosse on the right and take a pedestrian path parallel to the street and a cycle path. At the roundabout, turn right onto the pedestrian path, take a protected crossing and pass several bus stops. Take another protected crossing and walk past the Collège Hippolyte Rémi. Then turn left to cross the street at the protected crossing and follow it to the right.

(2) Just before a level crossing, turn left onto a small paved road (signposted "Voie pompiers"). After a metal gate on the left, continue straight ahead on a path parallel to the railway line (mainly recognisable by the overhead catenary). After an electrical substation (on the left), the grassy path gives way to a track.

(3) At the end, follow a road to the right and cross the railway line (disused). Immediately after, when the road turns right, first turn left then right to take a stony path and follow the fence of a business on your left. At the foot of an electricity pylon, turn left and continue along the fence. At the end, continue straight ahead on a grassy path. Walk along a wood on your right and then continue between the fields.

(4) At the T-junction, turn right and climb gently. At the next T-junction, turn left. The road soon becomes a lane. At the junction, go straight ahead into Rue de la Chaise. Ignore a path on the right and continue along the small road.

(5) When the road bends to the left, turn right onto a grassy path. Follow a hedge on your left and continue between the fields. At the end of the path, turn right and take a cycle path parallel to a road.

Purple signposting

(6) After about 50 metres, turn left, cross the road (be careful, there is no pedestrian crossing) and follow Rue de Plaisance (metal cross and bus stop on the left). Enter the village of Chailloy. At a three-way junction, follow Rue de l'Hôtel-Dieu on the left towards Salerne. Ignore the dead-end roads on either side.

(7) At the next three-way junction, turn right and follow Voie Piot towards Salerne. At Salerne, leave the farm and houses on your left and continue straight ahead. The small road then gives way to a farm track.

(8) Ignore a path on the left and stay on the main track. Follow a wood on your left (metal barrier) for a short distance and you will soon come to a junction with a path coming from the right.

Purple + yellow signposting

(9) Continue straight ahead on the track. Then cross a small road (elevation 137) and continue opposite on Rue Ambroise. Cross the hamlet of Les Champtretots.

(10) At the crossroads at the end of the hamlet, turn left onto a grassy path. Descend gently. On your left, follow a hedge and then a wood. On your right, alternate between fields, woods and fenced-in meadows.

(11) At the corner of a meadow, go straight ahead (ignore the Red Cross sign for mountain bikers). You will come to a small road, follow it to the left and cross the hamlet of La Bretonnière.

Purple signposting

(12) At the stop sign, turn left onto Route du Bois Saunoy. Climb gently for about 400 m and pass a secondary school on your right.

(13) Turn right and go through a forest gate (be careful, there are no arrows or signs here). Enter the forest and follow a path that appears to be little used. At the end (mountain bike sign no. 17), first turn left then right (purple cross) to follow another path.

(14) At the end, follow a good path to the right and descend gently. Take the^first path on the left (be careful to spot this turn). At the next junction, go straight ahead. Then pass through a forest gate and continue straight ahead, following a fenced meadow on your left. The path then gives way to a paved lane.

(15) At the T-junction, follow Impasse Maigret to the left. At the end of the tarmac road, turn left onto a path. At the junction, continue straight ahead.

(16) At the T-junction, turn right.

Red and purple markings

(17) Cross the Route du Corbier and continue straight ahead on Rue de Masure, which slopes slightly downhill.

(18) When the road turns right, continue straight ahead on a path and follow a hedge on your left. The path soon gives way to a trail. Follow a wood on your left and then enter the wood.

Red and white + yellow markings

(19) At the end, turn right and cross the old railway line. At the T-junction (sign for Petits Aulnoys), turn left. At the stop sign, turn right (be careful, narrow shoulder). At the traffic lights, go straight ahead and cross the Grand Morin in several stages (note the remains of an old mill on the right). Pass at the foot of an old dovecote. Then note an old chapel on the right and follow the Place des Tours.

(20) At the crossroads, turn left onto Rue de Pontmoulin.

(21) At the next fork (EDF power station), turn left into a no-entry street. Ignore a street on the right and follow the Grand Morin on your left. Ignore the^first footbridge on the left.

(22) Take the second footbridge on the left and cross the Grand Morin. At the intersection, go straight ahead onto a gravel path and follow a branch of the Grand Morin on your right.

(23) Enter the Parc des Capucins and turn left immediately. Ignore the access to a small "island" on the left and first turn right then left. Pass a chapel on the left and cross a shaded area diagonally to the right. At the end, turn left, leave the park and take the footbridge over the Fausse Rivière (that's its name). Then cross the street at the pedestrian crossing.

(1) Follow the street to the right and continue straight ahead until you reach the roundabout. Then take the^second left, Rue de la Gare, and you will quickly arrive at the station (S/E).

Train timetables: consult the Transilien website.

For motorists:
Park in the car park at Coulommiers station or in one of the adjacent car parks.

Hiking boots are recommended. In summer, bring sunscreen suitable for your skin type.

Shops in Coulommiers, bar near the station.

Access conditions and opening times for the Parc des Capucins, between (22) and (1):
- Opening times: 8 a.m.
- Closing times: November to February, 6pm; March-April and September-October, 7pm; May to August, 9pm.
- Dogs must be kept on a leash.

Alternative route:
At the point (8), follow a grassy path to the left. After about 500 m, join the main route at the point (16) and continue straight ahead. Allow around 12 km for this shortened version.

This hike largely follows a^PR® trail designed and marked by the Seine-et-Marne departmental committee of the French Hiking Federation (FFR). A 1:25,000 map is useful (at least the one accompanying this description). In the Forêt de la Bretonnière, between (13) and (15), following the trail via the Visorando app is a plus.

Hike completed by the author on 7 October 2023.

- Views of Coulommiers between (4) and (8).
- Pleasant walk between (10) and (11).
- Remains of an old mill on the banks of the Grand Morin, between (19) and (20).
- Parc des Capucins, which offers a variety of options, between (23) and (1).